Australian War Memorial's travelling exhibitions program funding cut by Department of Veterans Affairs

Ben Quilty's After Afghanistan exhibition will be brought back to Canberra as a result of the cuts.

Australian War Memorial

The Australian War Memorial's longstanding travelling exhibitions program has become the latest victim of the Federal Government's current austerity drive, with funding to all exhibitions effectively cut immediately.

AWM sources have told the ABC that staff learned funding to the exhibitions program had been cut on Friday.

AWM director Brendan Nelson confirmed the news and said he was advised by the Department of Veterans' Affairs (DVA) last week that funding would be cut.

Dr Nelson told 666 ABC Canberra the main priority would be finding an alternative source of funding for the program, but for exhibitions currently touring the country the news was bleak.

"The immediate future is that some of the travelling exhibitions will go on to their next venue or destination and then come back to the memorial," Dr Nelson said.

"Others, when they finish at their current destination we will need to pack up and bring back."

Dr Nelson said for the moment, the jobs of staff attached to the exhibitions program were safe.

"I want to keep the staff if I possibly can... we have six full-time staff," he said.

"My priority is to do everything we can to look after them and I'm reasonably confident we'll be able to do that."

Dr Nelson said if an alternative source of funding could be found from the private sector, he wanted to get the program running again.

"The last thing I want to do is get a sponsor and then find that we don't have the staff with the skills and expertise to run it," he said.

Dr Nelson said Ben Quilty’s After Afghanistan, currently on display in Perth, would continue on to Adelaide, and then be brought back to the memorial where it would be displayed for a year from December.

"Remember Me, the lost diggers of Vignacourt, is currently in Adelaide," he said.

"I'm going to be talking to Kerry Stokes this week. He purchased the glass plates and is co-sponsoring that exhibition."

A number of other exhibitions currently on tour will either wrap up in their current locations, or continue on to their next destination, before being brought home.

The AWM's travelling exhibitions program began in 1996 and has seen 40 exhibitions tour throughout the country and to international venues.

The program reached about 200,000 Australians every year, many of whom live in regional areas.

It was funded by the DVA's Commemorations program, with assistance from the Australia Council for specific exhibitions.

Dr Nelson said the DVA's Commemorations program was under "considerable pressure" to make cuts.

"We are very disappointed but we are living in times of austerity, and the AWM, we appreciate it needs to be a part of that," Dr Nelson said.

"It is a pity however that is particular program that reached to many people outside of the capital cities has to be a casualty of it."